Two Swords
by Tohdoh
Summary: The commander she followed is also the man she loved. Admitting that is her greatest fear, and her greatest desire. She needed no Knightmare or katana. Only 3 simple words. [Collection of Chiba x Tohdoh oneshots before, during, and after Code Geass.]
1. Chiba's Near Proposal

**So, Nagisa Chiba and Kyoshiro Tohdoh. I ship 'em. I'm sad to see that there's little about them, so I've taken the honor and pleasure of writing about my babies, with the hope that you'll enjoy the results.** **I'm going against the trouble and stress of writing in strict chronological order; I'm sorry if the narrative flow seems jumpy.**

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******Two Swords (1)**  
**Chiba's Near Proposal**

The chattering hubbub of fellow nearby Black Knights was barely acknowledged by Nagisa Chiba as she busied over her superior, Kyoshiro Tohdoh. The former Lieutenant Colonel sat still and silent with his eyes closed as Chiba carefully dabbed at his face with her makeup brush.

"Where's C.C?" someone asked. "I haven't seen her lately."

"I heard she wasn't feeling well," someone else replied.

Shinichiro Tamaki's voice, heavily tinged with one too much swig of bottled sake, burst out, "Must be having morning sickness, eh? Congrats to Papa Zero!" He proceeded to drown out the hubbub with an unapologetically loud guffaw.

"Tamaki-san, I think you've had a little too much to drink..."

Chiba resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "A little too much" was an understatement. Her annoyance with Tamaki nearly rivaled her dislike of Zero. Only the promise of her liberated homeland and her utmost devotion to Tohdoh kept Chiba within the ranks of the Black Knights. Otherwise she'd be the first to jump off the ship.

In the midst of Tamaki laughing, she nearly missed what Tohdoh said: "A soldier wearing makeup...it's disgraceful."

Despite his quiet disgruntled remark, he made no further objection, nor did he voice any beforehand. A chuckle slipped past Chiba's lips.

"I have to make you look good." 'You already look good...' What she said aloud, coupled by what she really thought, made her blush. Putting makeup on his face gave her a good excuse, and a rare opportunity, to admire his features from up close. She always liked how strong he looked. She delicately swabbed the brush down his long chin, across his sharp, chiseled features...like the great master Michaelangelo sculpting _David_...

Chiba bit her lip and blushed. She mustn't let herself get carried away with flighty thoughts like that. Once she finished, she pulled back the brush and mirror away from his face. 'All right, I'm going to say it,' she thought as her face burned. Her stomach twisted into a knot. She took in a deep breath before saying as boldly as she could: "U-um sir, once the current situation is over...I'd like to propose a request to Kyoshiro Tohdoh..." She opened her mouth to say more, but sheer nervousness fizzled out all confidence she had worked hard to muster. Her throat clenched and nothing came out.

Tohdoh remained silent and looked away uncomfortably.

Asahina's loud greeting to Ohgi made Chiba jolt and Tohdoh turn his head. The former lieutenant colonel rose to join them, his voice wry with amusement.

"Ohgi, you overslept again?"

Chiba was left standing alone in defeat, and she sighed. "Too slow," she muttered to herself. Then again, now probably wasn't a good time to tell him. She sank into the chair Tohdoh once sat in and gloomily stowed away her things in her cosmetic kit. She swore she could feel a thundering rain cloud loom over her head to reflect how dejected she felt. Diethard, Ohgi and Tohdoh went through the sliding doors, leaving Asahina to come over and clap her on the shoulder.

"Hey Chiba, did you tell him yet? Come on, I'm dying to know!"

She deterred his excitement as she replied, "Sorry to disappoint you, Asahina, but it didn't happen. I tried, though." She cracked a tiny grin in an attempt to make a weak joke. "It was kind of your fault."

Asahina took that with sincere dismay and regret. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I was the one who actually managed to convince him that he needed some touching up before the big event." He smartly adjusted his glasses to look clever. "It was all to set you up with him, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Chiba rose and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, it really wasn't your fault. The problem was me. I didn't have the guts to finish what I had to say."

"Didn't finish, huh? So he didn't reject you."

"No, not exactly. But..." She clenched both hands tightly on her lap. "I have a feeling he knew what I was going to say, and he took the first chance to walk away. That might as well just be rejection right there."

Asahina frowned. "Chiba, Colonel Tohdoh would be out of his mind to walk away from you without good reason. I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you on purpose." The bespectacled young man chuckled. "If anything, I'm sure that Colonel Oblivious is too busy to even notice!"

She couldn't help but smirk at the nickname. "Colonel Oblivious?"

"Everyone in the Black Knights knows how you feel about him. Well, except for Tohdoh himself."

"E-everyone knows...?" Mixed embarrassment and shame colored her cheeks. Was it really that obvious? The strong feelings she had for him...?

Her fellow Holy Sword winked. "Don't worry, we're all keeping a lid on it because we want you to make the jump on him yourself. I can see why you like Tohdoh so much. He's Japanese through and through...he's dead serious, unwaveringly devoted to his duty, and more than ready to die for his country." Asahina chuckled and cocked his head. "Well, maybe he can be a little _too_ serious. I think after this whole mess, once we get our Japan back, he can finally loosen up. Then he'll be ready for whatever you have to say."

Hope flared in her chest. "You really think so?"

"Think so? I know so. I have faith in you two. Tohdoh is lucky to be fighting alongside an amazing woman like you."

Had it not been for years of being a soldier and experience in reining her emotions, that would've moved her to tears. Chiba gave her friend a grateful smile. "Thank you, Asahina. I'll try again, and next time I won't falter. I'll tell it to him straight."

He beamed at her. "That's the spirit. Now let's get this UFN thing done and over with."

Chiba followed after him as the Black Knights milled about assuming positions and getting ready. As one of the four Holy Swords, now only two due to the loss of Urabe and Senba, Chiba pushed aside her personal feelings as everyone prepared for the momentous UFN conference. Country came first.

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**I hope that went ok so far. I have several ideas/prompts in mind that I'd like to write out, but I welcome suggestions from you guys, too! Up next: Tamaki makes a joke at the two involving "the sword and the sheath." ;3**


	2. The Sword and the Sheath

**Two Swords (2)**  
**The Sword and the Sheath**

Despite never getting his wish of earning an official position from Zero, Tamaki relished his unofficial duty as the manager of finance. When the Black Knights had dispersed throughout the world to carry out the liberation agenda, they incurred numerous bills from all over. Tamaki perused through them with great interest.

"Good thing we're famous and powerful now, otherwise we'd never be able to pay all this off," he remarked.

Various members of the Black Knights relaxed in the conference room with him. Rakshata lounged across a couch with a pipe in hand, as always. Xingke looked uncharacteristically tired as he slumped in a chair across from her, exhausted from his trip to Italy and Poland. Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh and his subordinate Chiba sat in a table for two, finishing up their lunch. Tohdoh absentmindedly ate the last tempura shrimp as he read his favorite book on the chronicle of samurai battles. Chiba could tell by the faded cover and yellowed pages that the beat up book held sentimental value to him. She reckoned that he had kept it since he first joined the Japanese military. Maybe even before that.

"Hey, when did we have a party for 780 liters of sake?" Tamaki asked.

Rakshata rolled her eyes. "You hosted that party in the first place, silly."

Tamaki blanked out for a few seconds, then the lightbulb seemed to flicker in his hothead and he chuckled as he remembered. "Oh, right. Of course I'd forget."

He leaned back in his chair until he looked dangerously close to falling over. "Hey Xingke, how were the noodles in Italy? Are they as good as the lo mein you got in China?" Tamaki got no answer, and he turned to see the Chinese Federation warrior dozing off. He chuckled and turned back to leafing through the bills. His eyebrows perked with interest as he pulled one out to examine.

"Ooh, this sounds hot. Luxury double room, single bed at Black Stallion Hotel. Fancy."

"That was our mission in Saudi Arabia," Tohdoh said in an offhand reply. His eyes never left the book. Chiba smiled to herself as she sipped at a bottle of ramune. It had been a surprisingly pleasant trip.

Tamaki looked slyly between Tohdoh and Chiba. "So...did you two do it?"

That made Tohdoh turn. He looked up and narrowed his eyes. "Do what? What do you mean?"

Chiba froze and felt an intense heat engulf her body. 'Oh no...is he going to say what I think he's going to say...?'

Tamaki leaned forward and waggled his eyebrows. "Did you...how shall I say it...'put the sword in the sheath?'"

Tohdoh's eyes flew wide and Chiba snorted soda from her nose. She flushed with embarrassment as she threw a napkin to her face and clutched her burning nose. Thankfully Tohdoh had all his attention on Tamaki, who leaned back in his chair laughing his head off. The resident clown of the Black Knights slapped his knee.

"Sword in the sheath...whoo, that's a good one!"

"That's ridiculous!" Tohdoh snapped.

"Ooooh, so defensive. That's only further proof that you two got it on. Hey Chiba...did he work miracles on you?"

She answered Tamaki with a wordless, seething glare. If one could die from embarrassment, she'd be well on her way to the afterlife right now.

Tamaki would not relent. "I heard that the Miracle of Itsukushima involved Tohdoh setting off Sakuradite bombs to bring down Britannian forces. Did he 'set off bombs' in you too?" Tamaki doubled over from his own joke. He clutched his stomach and laughed hysterically as tears streamed down his eyes.

Chiba lowered the napkin to say in a dangerous growl, "Tamaki, I swear...karma will take its course and someday you're going to _burn_."

"Not as much as your face!"

Tamaki was clearly having too much fun marveling at what he deemed his own comedic genius. Rakshata merely looked on with amusement and Xingke continued to nap as Tamaki kept laughing.

Chiba's cheeks felt like they equaled the temperature of a volcanic eruption. Before she knew it, Tamaki's suggestive language triggered images that flitted through her mind. She and Tohdoh, sharing a bed without clothes, waking up feeling pleasurably sore all over...It was utterly, completely slanderous. A wave of shame swept over her for thinking such thoughts.

Tohdoh was not amused by Tamaki's humor. His scowl deepened. "We had no choice but to share a room, nothing more. Do you really think we'd indulge in such a frivolous pursuit on an important mission?"

Tamaki looked as if Tohdoh just asked the most obvious question in the world. "Well, yeah! Don't you guys have a thing for each other?"

Tohdoh's reply was quick and firm. "There is nothing between us."

Chiba flinched and lowered her eyes. It both relieved and pained her to hear that from him. She knew he said that to refute Tamaki's imbecilic claim, but still...the sting of unrequited love had never hurt so much until now.

Tamaki made a dramatic forlorn sigh. "Seriously, cool guys always get the girls. Zero's got C.C, and you got Chiba. Lucky sons of-"

Tohdoh leapt to his feet. "Enough!" He loomed threateningly over Tamaki. "I will not have you disrespect my subordinate like this. Any more from you and I'll take it up to Zero."

At the dreadful prospect of being severely chastined by his idol, Tamaki threw up his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. I was just kidding around and trying to lighten up the place."

Tohdoh's intense glare subdued him to meek silence. He let out a resigned sigh and returned to his seat across from Chiba. He looked disgruntled and a bit miffed, but said nothing more on the matter.

After hearing what he had said, Chiba couldn't bear to sit with him any longer. Keeping the napkin to her face, Chiba bit her lip and got up. She left in a hurry, choking back tears. Tohdoh looked up and stared after her in confusion. He threw a look of disgust at Tamaki before rising and going after her.

Chiba made a beeline for the women's bathroom. It wasn't until she stopped at the farthest sink that she was unable to hold back a small sob. Grabbing new tissue paper, she furiously dabbed at her eyes, cursing herself for feeling this way and getting this upset.

'I'm overreacting...' She glared at her reflection in the mirror. 'Pull yourself together, Nagisa Chiba. You're a Holy Sword, damn it.'

When she felt she had successfully stifled the emotional turmoil within her, Chiba went back outside. She took only a few steps down the hallway and rounded a corner before she abruptly stopped. She sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. Tohdoh was headed right her way, and he stopped once he saw his subordinate.

Finally Tohdoh was able to muster a gruff inquiry. "Has Tamaki upset you? I'll voice my concerns to Zero as soon as I see him."

Chiba was surprised, and a bit touched, to hear a trace of concern in his voice. She looked away. "No sir, that won't be necessary." 'Tamaki isn't the one who hurt me. It's you.' With that thought, Chiba couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, otherwise she might start crying again like some pathetic, heartbroken high schooler. She wanted to shut her eyes and for Tohdoh to somehow magically disappear, so she wouldn't have to be stuck in such an awkward and undesirable situation.

Fortunately enough for her, Ohgi walked into the hallway. "Commander Tohdoh, Rakshata wants to do a test run of the Zangetsu. She can't do it without you, of course."

"Right. I'll be on my way." Tohdoh walked past Chiba to get to the hanger. She kept her gaze low all the while. Tohdoh threw one last glance over his shoulder, his usual intense scowl softened for an instant by confusion. Something upset her, and instead of not particularly caring, he wanted to know why. He supposed it would have to wait.

Glad that Rakshata didn't demand a test run for the Akatsuki model as well, Chiba headed off to her room for a much needed nap. "There's nothing between us..." She said that as if to console herself, instead of acknowledging what could very well be the sad truth.

**Next up: what really went on during that trip to Saudi Arabia.**


	3. Black Stallion Hotel

**Two Swords (3)  
****Black Stallion Hotel**

The flight from Japan to Saudi Arabia was a long one. Tohdoh and Chiba were sent to the Middle East in efforts to fulfill the Black Knights' liberation agenda. It was strictly business; the two samurai-soldiers had neither the time nor interest to relax and look around as if they were tourists enjoying summer vacation. Despite that, it comforted Chiba to know that they will be staying in a nice hotel after a long, exhausting flight. On top of that, the place was heavily guarded and boasted excellent, vigilant security. Still, one could never be too careful.

Tohdoh and Chiba didn't speak a lick of Arabic; fortunately there were enough staff in the hotel, as well as diplomats they'd be interacting with, who spoke Britannian English. Chiba had learned English by watching Britannian news, and she suspected that was how Tohdoh had learned English as well. It was a difficult language, especially with sounds and letters that didn't exist in Japanese. Her English wasn't as good as Tohdoh's, and there were still mispronunciations she'd utter that were frankly a pain in the ass.

No sooner had the two settled into their new room and unpacked the few things they had, Tohdoh stated that he was going out and would return shortly.

While Tohdoh headed downstairs, Chiba tried to change out of her uniform. She looked down and frowned. She was a thirty year old woman, beyond the point of further body growth, but the pants felt tighter than she remembered.

'God forbid if I'm getting out of shape,' she thought with dismay. Or maybe it was the muscle she gained from extensive piloting and hours of intense combat. Chiba hoped it was from all the work she had exerted, not out of inert laziness. She had to be strong for the Black Knights. For Japan. For Tohdoh.

In the midst of trying to slip her foot out through the pant leg, she lost her balance and careened backward. Unfortunately, not in the direction of the bed. Chiba landed with a spectacular flat-out thump on the floor. And just as she did so, the door clicked and Tohdoh came through. Their eyes met for an instant. He quickly turned his back to her and cleared his throat.

Chiba thought she was going to die. 'Damn it, of all times...' She flushed crimson (she'd been doing a lot of that around him lately). She scrambled to her feet and pulled her jacket across to cover her chest. "I-I'm so sorry, sir," she stuttered. "Please forgive me."

"Carry on, Chiba," he replied gruffly.

In pulling at her jacket, she neglected her unzipped pants and left her underwear exposed. Her hands fumbled to pull up her pants and button her jacket. All the while she mentally chastised herself for being such a clumsy idiot.

"I'm truly sorry you had to see that, Colonel Tohdoh," she mumbled.

"May I turn around now?"

Chiba straightened her uniform with a final tug and nodded. "You're good, sir."

Tohdoh turned, but did not come any closer. He kept his distance next to the door, his gaze inscrutinable. "I can't help but wonder why I came in to find you in such a position."

To her relief, his voice held no trace of anger or accusation. Only curiosity.

Chiba sat on the bed with folded arms and sighed. "Believe it or not, I was in the middle of changing. Gravity doesn't seem to agree with me."

He nodded. "I see. Are you hurt?"

"No, sir." 'Only thoroughly mortified and embarrassed, but otherwise I think I'm fine.'

"I heard a loud thumping noise from down the hallway, and it sounded like it came from this room. That's why I barged in so suddenly. I apologize."

Chiba was startled. "There's no need for you to say sorry, Colonel." He was always so formal, even in a situation like this. He took everything seriously; she wondered if he was capable of loosening up a bit. He made no sign of doing so in the seven years she knew and served under him.

He proved her wrong with what he said next: "I went downstairs to request a light snack we can share between us. Just some fresh sliced fruit, nothing more."

Chiba smiled. "I could use something like that right now. I don't think I adjust to jet lag very well."

"You'll get used to it after a few trips." Tohdoh turned his eyes to the window, which provided a generous view of the beautiful mosque nearby. "It has been a while since I've flown overseas," he pensively remarked.

That piqued her curiosity, despite her weariness. "Where have you gone outside of Japan, sir?"

"China and Korea, when I had served as a newly drafted private in the army. Later during the Southeast Asian occupation, I had been to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Saudi Arabia is certainly the farthest I've ever gone in either direction."

"This is the first time I've ever left Japan." Then she quickly assured him, "I don't feel scared, just curious and maybe even a bit excited about coming to a land and seeing a culture entirely unlike our own."

"That's a good way of looking at it. If only Britannians could be more open-minded and accepting of different perspectives as well."

Chiba made something between a wry chuckle and a derisive huff. "If that were possible, the world would be a much better place and we wouldn't be fighting this war."

"We can only hope that the war we are fighting now will be over soon. Until then, we will continue to carry out the duties we've been tasked to do. Each of us has a part to play...however big or small it may be, we must strive to play our parts the best way we can."

'He means the parts given to us by Zero. The way he says it...it's as if he's aware that Zero sees all of this like a giant chess game.' What bothered Chiba was how Tohdoh accepted that. She frowned. 'If it's all for the freedom of Japan and those who have been unjustly oppressed by Britannian tyranny, then it's not my place to complain.'

She didn't miss the grimace on Tohdoh's face as he rolled his shoulders and flexed his arms.

"Is something wrong, Colonel?" she asked with concern.

"It must've been from sitting for long hours on the plane. Or maybe old wounds are still smarting. My back feels stiff and tense."

Chiba mustered the courage to make a tentative offer: "I could give you a massage, if you'd like."

Tohdoh responded by turning his back to her. "I think I'd like that." He began to unbutton and shrug off his jacket.

Chiba felt her face grow warm as she watched him. 'I don't think he's the slightest bit aware of the effect he has on me.'

She was more than glad that he couldn't see her turn red. It was hardly the first time she saw him shirtless, but the sight never failed to make her heartbeat quicken and her cheeks warm. His leather and metal jacket fell onto the bed with a weighty thump. Scars old and new, inflicted by blades and bullets alike, marked his back. Each scar told a story, some she knew, and some she had yet to find out. It was clear that he had seen and survived many battles as a soldier seasoned and worn by war.

"Chiba?"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry." She gingerly pressed her hands against his back and knead her fingers in rhythmic, circling strokes. A sigh escaped him as he slightly leaned against her hands.

Apparently she had been staring for too long. That was precisely how Asahina had found out about her feelings for their leader. Just as she had watched Tohdoh soundly beat Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe in a sparring match, Asahina had soundly beaten her in Chinese checkers.

A knock on the door made both of their heads turn. Tohdoh nodded at Chiba to get the door while he slipped his clothes back on.

A member hotel staff came in with a plate of sliced apples on sticks, as Tohdoh had requested. For a few minutes, the two Japanese soldiers contented themselves with the fresh snack.

As he finished a fourth apple slice, Tohdoh glanced down at his watch. "It's nearly time for our daily report to Diethard."

"Right."

Chiba didn't know how her superior felt about Diethard Ried, but she certainly knew that she still didn't like the smooth-talking Britannian reporter. Duplicitous as he may be, at least he didn't hide behind a mask.

Just as unsettling thoughts began to creep into her mind, Chiba shook them off as she helped Tohdoh hook up the TV monitor with their communications system to the Black Knights headquarters.

After their brief conversation with Diethard, and as the afternoon gradually gave way to evening, Tohdoh and Chiba had to settle the issue of making do with the room they had to occupy, since the two had been unable to reserve separate rooms in advance.

Chiba sighed. "All we could get was a single room and a double bed, so we'll have to...sleep together, in the strictest, technical sense of that term."

Tohdoh nodded as he crossed his arms and thoughtfully surveyed the bed they sat on. "So it seems. I hope that won't be a problem for you, Chiba. If you'd like, I will sleep on the floor while you can take the bed."

"No-I mean, yes. I mean..." She was tongue-tied. Finally she managed to say, "Your consideration is duly noted and most appreciated, but there's no need for you to go out of your way for a lower-ranked subordinate like me. I'll take the floor, sir."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure?"

"I insist."

"Very well. You may change your mind at any time, though."

'I'm guessing that it won't feel any different than a futon back at home,' Chiba thought.

When it was time to go to sleep, she quickly found out she had guessed wrong. Chiba grimaced as she moved around, trying to get in just the right position to settle down and sleep. The air conditioner at full blast only made it harder for her to get any rest. Her efforts to get comfortable proved futile. She bit back a groan of frustration and sat up.

'I hate this floor. It's so uncomfortable. Even sleeping in a tank on my night shift during the Britannian invasion didn't feel this bad.'

As carefully and quietly as she could, Chiba peeled back the blanket and rose to her feet. She approached the bedside with shinobi-like stealth; she barely felt her feet because they were so cold. Tohdoh positioned himself in the middle, his chest gently rising and falling with each quiet breath as he slept.

She had never seen him look this peaceful. She hated to be the one to break that peace. However, it seemed impossible to slip into bed without him noticing. Biting on her bottom lip, she tried reaching out and pulling back the blanket with tortured slowness.

Tohdoh was a much lighter sleeper than she had thought. His eyes fluttered open and he stirred. Chiba froze where she stood. He peered at her curiously.

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" His ragged voice sounded even more so in his sleepy state.

"I, um...the floor...it's uncomfortable, and I can't sleep."

"I see. You look cold, too."

Her head jerked in a wordless nod. She tried to suppress her shivering, but she figured the lieutenant colonel was sharp as he had always been.

Chiba braced herself for what would come next. 'Will he scold me for being undisciplined? How I can't handle an uncomfortable floor and excessive air conditioning? Will he make me go back to sleep on there?"

The blanket was drawn away from her grasp as Tohdoh took it and pulled it back. He shifted to one side, leaving the other half open for Chiba.

She felt a rush of relief and gratitude. "Thank you, sir."

He merely nodded as she joined him under the covers.

She felt better in a matter of seconds. The bed was already warm from his body heat. Moreover, the mattress felt much more soft and inviting than the floor. To top it off, Tohdoh actually allowed her to get in bed. She would have no problems for the rest of the night. Despite her fatigue, her heartbeat quickened at the thought and sight of being so close to him. Tohdoh didn't seem to mind having his subordinate lie in close proximity. He pulled the blanket up to his chest and closed his eyes.

As the night stretched on, and just as Chiba started to drift into sleep, heavy breathing made her stir. She turned her head, and to her alarm, she saw Tohdoh's body covered in sweat and his face contorted as if in pain.

Drowsiness left her in an instant. Without hesitation she placed a hand on his bare chest, fearing for the worst and hoping it wasn't anything serious.

His skin felt clammy and cold. Tohdoh flinched away from her, his eyes still tightly shut. His fists clutched at the bedsheets. He uttered a single word in a strangled groan.

"Miwa..."

'He's having a nightmare,' she suddenly realized.

She shook his shoulder. "Colonel, it's all right. It's just a dream."

His eyes flew open and suddenly he went still, jerked from the throes of a nightmare. He blinked and his faraway eyes slowly focused on her face. "Chiba...?"

She nodded, her heart still pounding. "Yes, I'm here." Her eyes were bright and filled with concern. "Are you all right? Do you need me to call the-"

"No, I'm fine," he insisted. Tohdoh sat up and pressed a hand to his forehead as he fought to quiet down his heavy breathing.

Chiba felt dizzy with relief. At his age, something like cardiac arrest or a stroke wasn't improbable. She figured that her superior would shake off the effects of the nightmare on his own, and wouldn't need any further concern or assistance from her.

She ventured an inquiry: "Sir, if I may ask...who is Miwa?"

"It's none of your concern." His stiff reply made her own body tense.

Tohdoh saw her reaction, and his steely eyes softened for an instant. "I'm sorry for disrupting your rest," he lowly murmured. "Go back to sleep, Chiba."

She kept her mouth shut and asked no more questions. Now _she_ was the one who couldn't sleep. 'Miwa...a woman's name. He said it as if it meant a lot to him. Why didn't he want to talk about it? In all my years of being under his command, Tohdoh never kept a secret from me...' Unanswered questions plagued her for the rest of the night, and in the end neither of them got much sleep that first day in Saudi Arabia.

Thankfully the second day consisted of a short meeting with Arab diplomats, and as soon as business was over, the two returned to their room and took a long nap on their double bed with no fuss at all.

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**Who is this Miwa? You'll have to find out with Chiba. :o**


	4. Hands

**Two Swords (4)  
****Hands**

It was nothing short of a miracle that the harrowing battle of the Mausoleum had ended the way it did. The Black Knights still reeled from the incredible fact that they actually survived a skirmish against the Knights of Round. On top of that, Zero had singlehandedly dismantled the corrupt authority of the Chinese Federation.

Glowing with triumph but tempered with exhaustion, Chiba was bothered by the nagging pain that persisted in her hands as she guided her Akatsuki Zikisan back to the Ikaruga and put it on standby mode.

Asahina had already gone ahead to congratulate himself by plunging feet-first into the ship's jacuzzi and relax after the big battle.

The Knightmare's cockpit opened with a hiss, and Chiba winced as she slid down the rope. She gingerly pulled off her gloves and grimaced.

The skin that joined her fingers to the palms of her hands were perforated with blisters that had torn open. Dried blood congealed at the wounds. Tohdoh deposited his Zangetsu nearby and noticed her unhappy expression.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her. He made a grunt of concern as she held up her hands. "I'll help you patch them up."

Tohdoh and Chiba went to the infirmary, staying out of the way of more seriously injured personnel that had to occupy the beds. Chiba sat on a stool while Tohdoh perused through an open cabinet for a first-aid kit.

"We are very fortunate to win over Xingke," Tohdoh said. "Having him among our ranks is a huge asset to the Black Knights. He may even replace me as chief of military affairs."

"I have to disagree with you on that last statement, Colonel," Chiba quickly replied. "You are still very much a valuable commander among the Black Knights. Your military genius has gotten us this far."

Tohdoh allowed a small smile to replace the usual hawkish frown on his face. "I appreciate your devotion, but you think too highly of me, Chiba. It's Zero who truly keeps us all together. Without his charisma and brilliant schemes, the Black Knights would fall apart as tragically and quickly as the many resistance groups before us."

'Like the Japan Liberation Front...' She, Tohdoh, and Asahina were all that was left of the once proud JLF before they assimilated into the Order of the Black Knights. Knights they may now be in name, but she firmly believed that she and her comrades were still samurai by heart.

Chiba tried not to make her dislike of Zero apparent. "I suppose you have a point."

Tohdoh soaked several layers of paper towels with rubbing alcohol. "This will sting," he warned.

She shut her eyes and winced as he dabbed the soaked paper onto her hands. It burned like fire, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain.

Tohdoh noticed her discomfort, so he tried to divert her attention with small talk. "You fought with honor and struck like steel. You did well tonight, Chiba."

She visibly brightened upon hearing his praise. "Thank you, Colonel. But perhaps I got too carried away in my struggle to stay alive."

Her heart lifted as her remark managed a wry chuckle out of him. "It's easy to forget that too much tension pent up in your body is not good form for battle," he said.

"That's something I'll have to keep in mind."

Though a talented Knightmare pilot herself, Chiba had learned much of her skills from Tohdoh, a better pilot than she could ever be. She often found herself gripping the handles too tightly as she moved in for offensive strikes, or made evasive manuevers. It was a bad habit she'd have to shake off soon. She couldn't remember the exact moment when she had earned her blisters. Her life was too much at stake to worry about trivial things, which no longer became so trivial when her life was no longer at stake.

Tohdoh pensively studied her hands as he tended to them. They were not the hands of a typical woman. The callouses on her palms were concrete proof of years of wielding a katana and piloting a Knightmare, both of which were pursuits not normally undertaken by women.

Chiba was someone not afraid to get her hands dirty and roughed up, and Tohdoh liked that about her.

Tohdoh threw away the soaked and bloodied papers and reached for the roll of gauze. As he turned one of her hands over to the back, he caught sight of a perfectly round scar. A cigar burn. Tohdoh knew where it came from, and it wasn't a story Chiba liked to tell, let alone repeat.

Not keen on being reminded of her traumatic childhood, she averted her eyes from her own hand and instead studied his. He too had hands weathered with blisters and callouses, rough hands that were surprisingly gentle as he pulled the gauze over her wounds. Remembering the name he had uttered in the fits of his dream, Chiba searched for a wedding ring. She found none. Strange relief filled her at that moment, and at the same time she wasn't surprised.

Tohdoh always put his country first; certainly in this time of war and the past eight years she had known him, he didn't have time for romance or settling down. He would only see such pursuits as distractions from his ultimate duty. But could he give it a chance after...?

When Tohdoh finished wrapping up her hands, he gave the strip of gauze a deft tug to tear it from the roll. His hands touched hers for a flash of a second before he drew them back to stow away the first-aid kit.

"That'll be all for now. Make sure to change the bandages every two days and wash your hands with soap often. Knowing you, the chance of getting infections is improbable, but in case that happens, have medical staff help you."

Chiba nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you for taking the time to help me."

"Think nothing of it."

Knowing that Tohdoh was a man slow to openly express emotion, Chiba took a small action such as this to be one of kindness, and looking after a valued comrade. She walked out of the infirmary, gingerly flexing her bandaged hands. She hoped that in time, her commander would see her as more than a Holy Sword if she loved him enough.

* * *

**So there's still the mystery with Miwa, and now the cigar burn on Chiba's hand. Both will be revealed in due time. I was going to include Chiba's speculation over who Miwa could be in this oneshot, but then I remembered that Chiba finding out about Miwa happened after the Black Knights got Xingke to their side. Darn you, timeline. Next up: trust issues with Zero.**


	5. Trust Issues

**Two Swords (5)  
****Trust Issues**

Chiba was both surprised and dismayed to see that Tohdoh had been the first to step up for Zero. She almost felt embarrassed that she had expressed her disent so boldly and quickly. She took no part in the Black Knights' rousing chant for their masked leader. With narrowed lips she accepted his leadership in grim, reluctant silence.

Tohdoh met her eyes as he stepped down from his place next to Zero. "Chiba, you look as if something's bothering you."

She could never bring herself to lie to her superior, so she couldn't simply say "It's nothing." Instead she looked away and said in a low voice, "Don't mind me, sir."

"It's about Zero, isn't it?" he prompted.

The lieutenant colonel was acutely perceptive, as always. She sighed. "I only follow him because you do, Colonel Tohdoh. I don't like him one bit, though I am well aware that it's thanks to him we've all gotten this far and we haven't been shot dead by the Britannians."

"Do you think it's wrong to place our trust and faith in a man like Zero? From what Kozuki had told me about Urabe's last moments, he didn't think so."

Her eyes widened with shock. "Urabe...he's gone?" It hit her like a cold wave. The tall, gangly, blue-haired man with an easy smile and an awkward gait had been like a brother to her. More so than her brother by blood, whom she had cut ties from long ago. She always used to tease Urabe about who was dorkier: him or Asahina.

Tohdoh made a solemn nod. "Urabe made a courageous sacrifice to rescue Zero, when we had been deceived to think he was dead."

Chiba chose her words carefully. "To answer your question, Colonel...I think it's wrong to have too much of both, for Zero as with anyone."

"But you trust me?"

"You've never abandoned me sir, so I trust you. I know that you choose to follow Zero only because he promises to free our homeland. Regardless of how he aims to achieve the means, and my misgivings of him, that's good enough for me."

He acknowledged her opinion with a courteous nod. "Despite your doubts, I thank you for your trust and honesty, Chiba. I appreciate it."

Tohdoh and Chiba stood together, unsmiling and solemn as they thought of their deceased comrade and what Zero could be planning next. The rest of the Black Knights milled around them with elated joy and renewed zeal, caught up in the moment and seemingly without a thought for the past or the future.

The past was behind them. All they could do was look to the future, and hope it would turn out to be better than then and now.

* * *

**I apologize for this one being so short. I like to make my chapters at least 1000 words. I'm aware that not a lot of people like Chiba for having next to zero loyalty for Zero. (See what I did there? :P) I wish the anime took more time to develop the relationships and interactions among secondary characters, Tohdoh and Chiba included. It seems that Chiba comes off as a Tohdoh fangirl (which she kind of is, but I don't like to think that's all there is to her). I could see her being like Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist, had she been given more development and personality.**


	6. Pajama Party and Love Chat

**Two Swords (6)  
****Pajama Party and Love Chat**

C.C. and Rakshata Chawla were the first to arrive at Kaguya's pajama party. Chiba could tell by the lingering smell of pizza and tobacco as she went into the room. She arrived with Zhou Xianglin, since both women had been busy at the bridge of Ikaruga before they had earned the time off.

Chiba pulled away the canopy to see C.C. and Rakshata lounging on the many pillows and blankets sprawled on the floor.

"Lady Kaguya and the Tianzi aren't here yet?" she asked.

C.C. shrugged. "So it seems."

Chiba raised an eyebrow. The enigmatic green-haired girl had never been one to acknowledge or respect authority. Her dismissive and distant tone always rubbed Chiba the wrong way. "I would think that Lady Kaguya would have been the first to arrive, and give us a little scolding if we came late."

Rakshata let out a tinkering laugh. "Yes, that seems like something she would do."

Xianglin peered around. "I wonder where she is, then. She's probably with the young empress."

"Or with 'her husband,' Zero," Chiba said as she rolled her eyes.

"It's rare to wind down and relax for a change," Xianglin remarked as she settled down and fluffed a pillow. "Well, for me, anyway."

"Same goes for me." Chiba stretched out her arms and legs as she sprawled on the blankets. "We could all use this precious time while we're caught up in an international mess."

The white-haired Chinese Federation Empress skipped into the room, followed closely by her good friend Kaguya Sumeragi. Tianzi plopped down onto the pillows. "Oooh, so this is what a pajama party looks like."

"That's exactly what it is, Empress," Kaguya replied with a giggle.

"Why are all of us invited here?" C.C. asked.

"Well, it can't be a party without people," Rakshata stated matter-of-factly.

Kaguya looked around the rather informal assembly with a bright smile on her young face. "I'm so glad everyone could come after receiving my invitations. This is my gift to you, whether you like it or not."

Chiba chuckled. "We're not complaining, Lady Kaguya. Some of us really need this break."

Tianzi clapped her hands and fidgeted in a show of restless enthusiasm. "So what should we do now?"

Rakshata pulled her pipe away. "Let's have a love chat," she suggested. A sultry smirk played at her full lips.

"Love chat?"

"It means we talk about a person you like," Kaguya explained.

"Who does everyone see herself with?" Tianzi asked eagerly.

Kaguya's reply came with no hesitation. "Zero for me!"

"Good thing those six guys from the Black Knights aren't here," Rakshata remarked.

The women and girls giggled as they unconsciously leaned in closer to gossip.

"They all act like kids," Chiba said with a shake of her head. "Ohgi is a nice guy, but that's it. Just a nice guy."

"Tamaki is crude," C.C remarked. Every girl and woman nodded in agreement. No objections there.

"Minami is a pedo," Rakshata said.

Chiba quickly changed the subject before they could dwell on Minami and Tianzi would ask what a "pedo" was. "Diethard's a sly, tricky one. We can't trust a Britannian like him. And Sugiyama is a skirt-chaser."

A small part of her felt guilty when she said that, mostly because he had lost his girlfriend Inoue in the failed decisive battle during the Black Rebellion. But that didn't seem to stop him from having his eyes on other girls.

"That leaves Asahina. What about him?" Xianglin asked.

Kaguya brightened. "Oh, my. If you're interested, we could introduce you to him."

Xianglin shook her head, as if Kaguya misunderstood the older woman's inquiry. "I'm interested in someone different."

C.C raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oho, what a coincidence. Asahina is 'different,' if you catch my drift."

Apparently the sweet yet very sheltered empress did not catch it. "What does that mean?" Tianzi asked.

Everyone, especially Xianglin, tensed as they waited to see how C.C would explain this. Finally she replied, "Love takes on many different forms. It depends on the person."

Tianzi was intrigued. "Oh, so what is love for Asahina?"

C.C made as if to elaborate, but Chiba frowned in disapproval. "I won't let you spread bad rumors about my friend and countryman," she asserted firmly.

"Fine, then. Enough about Asahina." C.C. made a sly grin. "Let's talk about you. And Tohdoh."

Chiba instantly flushed red. "Wh-what?" She hated being put on the spot.

Rakshata chuckled. "What a pity. Tohdoh is the only real man around here. And it seems like he's already taken."

"T-taken?" Chiba sputtered.

The genius Indian scientist winked at her. "No need to get your panties up in a bunch. I was referring to you, my dear."

Tianzi's mouth made a little "o" as she leaned forward. "So that's who she likes?"

C.C, Xianglin, Kaguya, and Rakshata exchanged knowing grins among each other.

Kaguya smiled at the hapless female soldier. "I think the only one among the Black Knights who doesn't know about your feelings is Tohdoh himself."

Chiba's cheeks took on the color of raw fish on sushi (which was quite red). 'That's pretty much what Asahina said, too,' she thought as her heart sunk.

C.C quirked an eyebrow. "Or maybe he does know..."

"Chicken," Rakshata said with a little laugh.

Tianzi tilted her head in confusion. "Commander Tohdoh is a bird?"

Kaguya suddenly had the mental image of a rooster strutting around with Tohdoh's trademark scowl and katana tucked under its wing. Her hand flitted to her lips as she giggled. "Chicken as in coward in this case, Empress. Metaphorically speaking."

"Oh, I see."

"I wonder what you'd do if he was a late bloomer," C.C mused.

"Thirty years old, male, late bloomer? That's just sad," Rakshata remarked.

Chiba bristled, quick to defend her superior. "Colonel Tohdoh is a very upright man! He's no chicken."

Tianzi meekly rose her hand and managed a tiny grin towards Chiba. "I...I think you should value the fact he's not a chicken."

"How insightful you are, Empress!" Kaguya exclaimed.

An easy smile gradually replaced the redness of Chiba's face. 'The little empress has a good point. Maybe that's why I admire him so much.'

After the whole fiasco with Rakshata's influence on the empress and Xingke losing his temper, the girls settled down to get some sleep for the night, leaving Chiba to her thoughts once more.

It seemed as if Kaguya wasn't the only one thinking about Tohdoh as a chicken; the ridiculous image that persisted in Chiba's mind made the female soldier break into a grin as she buried her face into a pillow to sleep.

* * *

**I know it seems like I've been doing a lot of Chiba-centric writing, so for the next few chapters I'll try to focus on Tohdoh's perspective. Next up: mistletoe. ;D**


	7. Mistletoe

**Two Swords (7)  
Mistletoe**

The spirit of the Britannian holiday was so infectious that even the Black Knights, fervent rebels for a free and independent Japan, could not escape the Christmas contagion. Not surprisingly, it was Diethard Ried who suggested that the Black Knights rest a bit during Christmas and take part in the festivities. And surprisingly, Zero astonished everyone by approving the notion. Ohgi and Tohdoh supervised the Black Knights while Zero was away for unexplained reasons.

In truth, the two Japanese men hadn't the slightest clue how this Christmas business should go about. Thus, Diethard assumed the mantle of being the real mastermind behind this year's holiday operations.

To everyone's horror and dismay, he had all the Black Knights put on atrociously ugly Christmas sweaters. Not even Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords could escape the order. Chiba felt herself slowly spiralling into insanity from constantly scratching where parts of the sweater itched her. Senba was particularly embarrassed; his girth was so wide that his sweater could fit the entire line of Santa's reindeer. Urabe's gaunt and tall figure earned him a sweater depicting an entire Christmas tree, flashing lights, glitter and all. Tohdoh wearing a Christmas sweater was the first time anyone had ever seen him wear bright, gaudy red. Unlike the rest of his comrades, he was more adept at hiding his embarrassment with the hawkish frown he always had. In the hanger, Rakshata actually permitted people to decorate her precious Knightmares with Santa hats and wreaths, but only for this one week. Setting up the Christmas tree made the whole bridge of Ikaruga smell distinctly of pine needles. Not that it was a bad smell at all.

Tamaki was doing a poor job of being sneaky and trying to make away with the cookies and milk laid out on the table.

Kaguya Sumeragi slapped away Tamaki's hand. "Quit snitching on the cookies. They're for Santa Claus."

Tamaki had the gall to take a cookie anyway and stick it into his already stuffed mouth. He sprayed crumbs as he tried to talk through the half-chewed cookies. "Hate to rain on your Christmasth parade, but Santa Clausth ain't real. Even if he wasth, where could he come down? The Ikaruga doesthn't ha' a chimneh."

Kaguya huffed and put both hands on her hips. "It's just tradition, okay? Now leave the cookies alone, mister!"

Asahina walked around passing hot cocoa to everyone. He had his normal glasses switched out to unflatteringly dorky ones with big candy cane patterned rims.

Chiba leaned over to Urabe and whispered, "Asahina actually enjoys the dorky clothes because he's a dork himself."

Urabe chuckled. "I thought you deemed _me_ the bigger dork."

"This time it's him. Definitely him."

Next to them, Tohdoh said nothing, but found himself unable to hide a crooked grin upon overhearing his subordinates.

The Black Knights were left to muse over the whereabouts of their ever mysterious leader as they put up Christmas decorations all over the Ikaruga.

"Where do you suppose Zero went off to?" Sugiyama asked.

Minami shrugged as he worked on disentangling the Christmas lights. "Beats me. Kallen isn't here, either. Do you think she went with him too?"

"Even if school's closed for the holidays, Ashford Academy still has some big Christmas festival it's holding," Ohgi said. "Kallen has to go to keep up appearances, I assume."

Sugiyama tapped a finger to his chin. "Since Zero gave Diethard the approval to go along with this celebration, I wonder how he celebrates Christmas."

"Zero dressed up as Santa Claus," Minami said with a chuckle.

"Hopping from chimney to chimney on his red-nosed Shinkirou," Ohgi said as he caught on.

"Giving lumps of coal to the Britannians."

"And showering gifts to the multitiude of overjoyed Japanese people."

"Merry Christmas, indeed!"

A sudden collective laugh sounded out from Ohgi, Minami, and Sugiyama. From where she sat, Chiba couldn't hear what they were talking about, so when all she saw was them bursting into loud laughter, she quirked an eyebrow. "I take it back, Urabe. Asahina isn't the only one. I'm _surrounded_ by dorks."

Done with giving hot chocolate to everyone, Asahina exchanged his empty tray for an armful of Christmas tree decorations. "Colonel Tohdoh, you don't mind if I hang these on the hairs of your Zangetsu, do you?" He dashed off before his commanding officer could react.

Tohdoh _did_ mind. He had caught sight of superglue in the midst of Asahina's armload of decorations. He abruptly rose from his seat and pursued Asahina, all the while the younger soldier laughed on his way to the hanger. Senba, Urabe, and Chiba stared after the two and they shared a laugh.

"Is he serious?" Senba asked.

"I'm sure he's just playing," Urabe replied. "He wouldn't do something so stupid like supergluing Christmas decorations for real."

Suddenly Kaguya seemed to pop out of nowhere as she slipped into Tohdoh's empty seat. She turned to Chiba and beamed as she offered a bag of sweets.

"Here you go, Captain Chiba. Have some peppermint!"

The female soldier took it with slight confusion on her face. "Thank you, Lady Kaguya, but I don't think I'll be eating this much."

Kaguya winked. "Trust me, you'll need them." She skipped away before the older woman could get her to explain her cryptic answer. Seeing no harm in the gesture, Chiba shrugged and popped in a peppermint.

When Kaguya was sure no one saw her, she went to Tohdoh next, where her fellow conspirator Asahina had him alone and distracted in the Knightmare hanger. Tohdoh was busy berating a hapless Asahina for attempting to pull off a reckless stunt when Kaguya cheerfully broke them up.

"Hello, Commander Tohdoh! Please have some peppermint."

He merely stared at Kaguya, and after a few seconds he took the bag from her. The way she said it made him assume she meant it as a firm order, despite her outward politeness. He couldn't bring himself to decline her offer.

Kaguya's sweet smile persisted. "You should probably eat one, sir. Perhaps several will be best."

Tohdoh raised an eyebrow as he complied with this as well. "Are you up to something, Lady Kaguya?"

"Whatever makes you think that?"

Before he could reply, Kaguya skipped away, leaving Tohdoh bewildered and Asahina trying his hardest to hide a devious smirk. Back in the Ikaruga, Chiba was startled when Diethard suddenly clapped a hand on her shoulder. Her head jerked up to see his look of alarm.

"Quick, to the hanger!" he shouted. "Tohdoh choked on a peppermint!"

Chiba did not hesitate. She immediately left her spot and dashed down the hallway connecting the bridge and the hanger. Meanwhile, on the other end, Kaguya ended her fake show of returning to the bridge and ran back to the hanger in panic, as fast as her flowing dress could allow her. "Help, Commander Tohdoh!" she cried. "Chiba choked on a peppermint!"

Tohdoh took off past Kaguya and ran as fast as he could across the hanger and down the hallway. He and Chiba nearly ran right into each other and the two skidded to a halt in utter confusion.

"What?" Both of them burst out.

The flash of a camera threw them into even more confusion.

"Aha! Caught you!" Diethard exclaimed in triumph.

The two soldiers turned to see him armed with his camera. "Wha-? Diethard...?" Chiba stammered.

The former Britannian news reporter looked quite pleased with himself. "This was easier than I thought."

Chiba whirled around to face Tohdoh. "Wait...you're not choking?"

"No, are you?" he asked, looking just as confused.

She shook her head, and both of them simply stood there, thoroughly bewildered and feeling very awkward as the peppermint, far from being lodged in their throats, lingered and melted on their tongues. Kaguya and Asahina emerged from the other side of the hallway with disarming smiles.

Kaguya made a sheepish show of wringing her hands. "I'm sorry, but this was what we came up with to get you two right where we want you. No one's choking, so both of you are fine. Now you must do the deed."

"What are you talking about?" Tohdoh asked.

Diethard's camera lens did not stray from the two soldiers. "By the decree of unbroken and time-honored Christmas tradition, you two must share a kiss under the mistletoe."

Chiba gawked at him. "Are you serious? You Britannians must be making this up."

Kaguya swiftly sprang up to his defense. "Diethard's not lying. Look." She pointed to the ceiling; Tohdoh and Chiba directed their gazes to a peculiar looking plant surreptitiously taped to an overhead light. "Whenever two people pass under a mistletoe, those two _have_ to kiss."

The Black Knights began to filter into the hallway until they barred the way back to the bridge. They were all quite eager to see Tohdoh and Chiba submitting to the mistletoe rule.

Chiba flushed and avoided meeting everyone's eyes. "Are you serious? There's no way I'd...I..." She said one thing and thought the other. Deep down she'd jump at the chance to kiss her commanding officer right on the lips. What better way than to do it now, when everyone was caught up in the Christmas spirit? Tamaki began to pump his fist and chant "make out," and soon everyone took up the chant with unbridled enthusiasm. Chiba wanted to slap a palm to her forehead and crawl under a rock. Why did it not surprise her that Asahina, Diethard, and Kaguya set up this scheme?

Tohdoh uttered a quiet sigh. "This is ridiculous."

And with that, he leaned over, pulled her in with an one-arm embrace, and planted a firm kiss on her lips. The collective cheer that erupted from everyone in the Ikaruga was nothing short of deafening. Chiba stiffened and felt her cheeks blaze. Even with her eyes shut, she saw Diethard snapping lightning quick pictures in an attempt to capture the scene. As she dared to open her eyes, she grew even hotter when she saw people pulling out their phones to snap pictures. As soon as Tohdoh and Chiba broke the kiss, she hid her face in her hands and turned away, overcome by sheer embarrassment. Was it just her imagination, or did his lips taste of peppermint?

Tohdoh had the same question on his mind.

This was certainly not how Chiba expected her first Christmas to turn out. Not that she knew what to expect, anyway. As if in a drunken daze, she slowly turned away from Tohdoh and tried to leave through the other end of the hallway. She felt weak and light-headed, and her legs giving way from under her. Her eyelids fluttered, her eyes rolled up to her head, and she swooned. Tohdoh rushed forward to catch her just in time before she hit the floor. Chiba was too knocked out to see Diethard's madly flashing camera and hear the cheers grow even louder.

* * *

**Silly chapter, I know. I hope you were entertained. I will write and dwell on more serious, angsty matters later. And I'll make 'em kiss for real, I assure you. :3**


	8. Their Biggest Fan

**Two Swords (8)**

**Their Biggest Fan**

Chiba felt that her blisters, sustained from intense Knightmare piloting, have had enough time to heal. As she carefully peeled away the gauze, she stared pensively at the burn branded on her hand. Even after all these years, when the physical pain ebbed away with time, the emotional pain still remained fresh in her mind, like a searing brand. Part of her felt bad that she couldn't bring herself to love her father (wherever he was now), but he in turn never loved her. Under Tohdoh, even if he was a thousand times over a better man than her father could ever be, Chiba found herself facing the same and her greatest fear: being unwanted. Even if Tohdoh never reciprocated her feelings, and as long as he still needed her as a soldier for combat, Chiba was content. She was glad that since the battle over the Mausoleum, the Black Knights didn't have to deploy their Knightmares. If they did, she'd have to remain in the sidelines, and she hated standing by. She prided herself in being an asset to the Black Knights, and a couple of blisters shouldn't hold her down. She couldn't call herself a soldier for Japan if that was the case.

"...Chiba...Hey, Chiba!"

It took her a while to register the fact that her fellow Holy Sword, Asahina, was addressing her. She snapped out of her thoughts to look up at him. "What is it?" she asked.

He folded his arms. "Tohba or Chiboh...which sounds better to you?"

Chiba raised an eyebrow. "What kind of question is that? I don't know, they're both sound strange." She thought for a few seconds, then stared at him strangely. "Why do you ask?"

"We need a name for the ship."

A small frown crossed her face. "I don't recall the Black Knights ever commissioning an airship. We have more than enough good Knightmares and talented pilots, if you ask me."

Asahina waved that away with his hand. "No, not that kind of ship."

Chiba raised an eyebrow. "Well, what kind of other ship could there be?"

"You're not familiar with the term?" A grin spread across Asahina's face. "Allow me to enlighten you, then." He proceeded to give her the definition, to which she reacted with shock and slight embarrassment.

"You sh-ship me and Commander Tohdoh?" she stuttered. Well, it was no surprise. She just didn't know until now that there was a succint word to describe such a relationship. Unlike her arguably dorkier friend, she didn't keep up with Internet slang.

"Everyone in the Black Knights ships you two." Then Asahina made a shrug. "Well, except maybe Zero, because no one knows what he thinks. But he's so smart, he'd have to be a complete idiot not to notice what's going on between you and Tohdoh."

Chiba stood there blushing as Asahina crossed his arms and mused to himself, "I think Chiboh sounds cute. I guess we'll go with that." After a few seconds, though, his eyes widened and he gasped as he experienced a _eureka_ moment. "No...I got it! Toshiba! Like the laptop brand."

Chiba pressed a hand to her temple and looked resigned. "You're real serious about this, aren't you?"

Asahina winked with his scarred right eye, as he usually did. "Of course, Chiba. I'm your biggest fan. Your first one, too." He had known since Chiba's earliest days as the newest member of the Holy Swords. Every so often he'd drop in not-so-subtle hints of his support for her feelings towards their commander. Asahina pulled his face into a mock pout. "If you two don't get together by the end of this stinking war, I'm gonna cry."

"Don't hold your breath," Chiba said wryly. "None of us might even make it by then." War never gave her the luxury of being optimistic. She had learned that from experience.

"I'm well aware," Asahina replied. "But your devotion to Tohdoh is just one of many things that makes us human. They're what separate us from Knightmares, or cogs in the war machine."

"I guess you have a point," she murmured. "Tell _that_ to Zero."

Asahina grinned at her. "Revolutions and politics have hardened us Black Knights into a crummy old lot. We need some more love among our ranks, I think." Then he said in an official, lofty tone: "I hereby declare Toshiba as my number one OTP."

"What does OTP stand for?" Chiba asked.

"One true pairing."

Now she was just exasperated. "Go ship Zero and C.C. or something. Now that's a relationship if I ever see one."

Asahina frowned. "I would, if I knew them really well. But both of them are so detached and mysterious, especially C.C., so there's not much I can go on." He winked. "But Toshiba is something I can definitely root for."

All this talk about ships and OTPs was more than she could take. She opted for backing out with a lame excuse. "Now that my hands are better, I gotta give my Knightmare a test run. See you, Asahina."

When she turned on her heel to leave, he called, "You're going the wrong way, Chiba!" He couldn't hold back a chuckle as she turned around and headed the opposite way with as much smoothness and dignity as she could muster with her clenched fists and stiff back.

* * *

**I love how Asahina supported the Toshiba ship so hard in the anime. I wish he didn't die before seeing his two friends get together. T.T My favorite Toshiba fanart is actually half of the cover image for this fic; the other half are the deceased Holy Swords standing off to the side, looking very happy that Tohdoh and Chiba hooked up. That fanart alone influenced me to fall in love with the ship.**


	9. Incarceration

**Two Swords (9)**

**Incarceration**

Tohdoh never expected to land back in prison. He blamed that on his high hopes.

Following Zero and joining the Black Knights revivified him with purpose, hope, and a fierce determination he had not felt since the so-called Miracle of Itsukushima seven years ago. He had felt it in his heart that victory for the Black Knights was certain. When he fought in his Knightmare, he saw beyond the dust and darkness the rising sun of Japan, the sun that would herald the rightful return of an oppressed nation. Triumph and liberation seemed so close that he could almost reach out and grasp it in his hands. Fate was cruel when Zero suddenly left the battle, and thus left his forces to suffer defeat by their mortal enemy.

It was humiliating, to say the least. Overpowered and outnumbered, Tohdoh and his men were forced at gunpoint to dismount from their Knightmares. Hands cuffed behind his back and forced to his knees, all he could do was watch in helpless, numb despair as his customized Gekka and the other Japanese Knightmares were systematically destroyed. It had been a month since the remnants of the Black Knights have been in prison, though it seemed to Tohdoh like a full year. Sorely bruised in both body and pride, the Black Knights endured harsh, degrading treatment from the smugly victorious Britannians. Even Britannian prisoners from nearby cells taunted them.

Racial slurs were hurled, curses were uttered, and insults were heatedly exchanged. Tohdoh wisely stayed out of it, and refused to stoop to such low levels of mudslinging. He never joined in the angry verbal fights. Even in sound defeat, he kept his head high and his mouth shut.

An angry outburst from Tamaki shattered the eerie silence of the prison, and snapped Tohdoh out of his reverie. Tamaki had received yet another beating from the guards for his smart mouth. His white and brown prison uniform was all but battered and ripped in some places. He was already going through his second one, and he might need a replacement soon. Tamaki yelled curses and oaths even as he landed unceremoniously into his cell, his buttocks sticking up in the air and his face planted on the floor.

"Tamaki, you okay?" Ohgi asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll be just fine," Tamaki grumbled. "I'm like a freakin' weed, man. No matter how many times they step on me and wanna get rid of me, I just spring back up from the ground."

Ohgi cracked a wry smile. "Good to see you're still in high spirits."

"Well, yeah! Not all of us were captured, I think." Tamaki looked around. "I haven't seen Kallen or the Guren. I bet you she's still out there somewhere."

"Let's hope so," Ohgi replied. "If she were here, even her half-Britannian heritage won't be much help."

Finally, Tohdoh voiced what he had held back for weeks: "I'm truly sorry...Zero left me the responsibility of commanding all our forces. I couldn't give us the victory over the Britannians. I've failed the Black Knights. I failed everyone."

The Black Knights in adjacent cells were surprised to hear him open up for what seemed like the first time, and they only looked to him in sympathy, feeling moved by his rare moment of confession.

Ohgi replied on everyone's behalf with weary sincerity. "Don't blame yourself, General Tohdoh. Getting you to join us was one of our greatest triumphs. It was a huge honor to have you command us. You fought hard, and you did all you could."

Tohdoh shook his head despite Ohgi's earnest praise. "Even so, my best was not good enough. Zero held the key to our success in overthrowing the Britannian forces."

"If it's anyone's fault, it's Zero's." Chiba's voice was tight and almost choked with bitterness. "He abandoned us when we needed him most. I always knew there was something sleazy about him."

From his cell across hers, Tamaki threw a baleful glare at the former JLF soldier. "You always gotta rip on Zero, huh? I'm sure he had a good reason why he left."

Asahina scowled at the ceiling. "We'll never know the answer to that, because we'll be rotting in prison."

"He'll bust us outta this place," Tamaki assured them. "He'll figure something out and pull a genius move to help us, like he's always done. He wouldn't leave his best followers to be chewed up by Britannian scum."

"That's bullshit," Chiba retorted. "Just accept that he betrayed us."

The guard banged his fist against the wall. "Shut up! I don't want to hear another word of your filthy language out of your mouths, you hear me?"

Chiba's reply in Britannian English dripped with venomous sarcasm: "We were actually reciting in a secret ritual to worship Zero. Sorry to leave you out of it. Black Knights business, you know."

"Don't get snarky with me, you stupid Eleven!"

Chiba bristled at being called an Eleven. She glared back and let out a string of angry words no one around her could understand.

The guard grew only more furious. "This is Area 11, under Britannian rule! This isn't your country anymore. Speak _English_!"

Tohdoh felt a flash of contempt. The racial superiority these Britannians exuded was downright sickening.

Chiba clearly shared her commander's contempt as she responded in English: "You must be too stupid to tell the difference. I was insulting you in Mandarin Chinese, not Japanese. The Chinese Federation isn't under your precious Britannian rule, so technically I'm free to speak Mandarin as much as I want."

A vein throbbed at the guard's temple as he raged at her. "Don't get smart with me, bitch! I'll rip out your tongue so you won't be speaking in any language!"

"Go ahead and try, because even if you do, I still have this." Hands tied behind her back, Chiba had to turn around and very boldly stuck out her middle finger.

The guard snapped. He proceeded to assault the bound woman by hitting her repeatedly with the butt of his machine gun. The Black Knights held in nearby cells could only watch on helplessly. She took the blows with admirable grim silence. Blood trickled down from the corner of her lip and the back of her head. Only when the guard seized her by the hair to throw her down to the floor, she cried out in pain.

Tohdoh couldn't take it anymore. "That's enough!" he burst out angrily. "You have no sense of decency and honor at all, hitting an unarmed woman like that."

The guard ceased his assault and glared, curling his lip in disgust as if Tohdoh was an insect instead of a Japanese soldier. "Don't tell me what to do. Think you're so high and mighty, huh? Because you're the oh-so-great 'Tohdoh of Miracles?' Know your place, Eleven!"

Tohdoh's scowl hardened. If there was one thing that inflamed the rigid and steadfast general, it was hearing that very number. He had been holding back his anger for a month, and coupled with seeing his subordinate being beaten, now he felt his frayed nerves snap. He cracked a grim, mirthless smile. "I find it amusing that you insist I go by 'Tohdoh of Miracles.' I'll correct you by admitting that it was only a single miracle. A one-hit wonder, if you will. All it took was careful planning, the right materials, and perfect timing. People say what they want, and stories become more myth than reality as they're passed down, but the truth is that I'm no miracle maker." His narrowed eyes, full of scorn and bruised warrior's pride, burned into the Britannian's. "Gods and miracles won't be bringing down the Britannian Empire. Only men and women who'd fight and die for a free Japan."

The guard's face turned beet-red. He dealt Chiba a final kick to the stomach before stomping over to Tohdoh to take out his anger on his third Japanese victim. But just before he could open Tohdoh's cell, another guard came and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Easy there, man. I'm here for my shift."

Shifting his glare among Tamaki, Chiba, and Tohdoh, the guard who had just been relieved (and thoroughly humiliated) made a big show of storming away.

Tohdoh looked back to his bloodied and beaten subordinate, his voice full of concern. "Chiba, are you all right?"

She spat out a gob of blood from her mouth and managed a weak smile. "I'm fine, sir. I'm used to it."

Privy to Chiba's troubled past, Tohdoh said nothing of it among the former Black Knights, and only looked on with sympathy as she struggled to sit up and ruefully rubbed at her red cheek with her shoulder.

Tamaki regarded Chiba with mixed admiration and surprise. "Jeez, I didn't know you had that in you."

"I can be a smart-ass when the occasion calls for it." She leaned against the wall to calm her heavy, pained breathing.

"I thought you were the obedient and submissive type, because you're always like 'Yes sir, Tohdoh sir, I'd do anything for you.'"

"I'm not always like that," she retorted.

"She _is_ the hothead of the Holy Swords, though," Senba said with a deep chuckle. "Maybe not to your extent, Tamaki, but she does have her moments."

Chiba looked offended. "Are you seriously comparing me to him?"

"There's some truth to it," Asahina said.

The former Black Knights shared muted chuckles that were quiet and short-lived. The light banter they just said lifted the prisoners' spirits a bit, if not by much.

"Chiba, I didn't know you spoke Chinese," Ohgi remarked.

"I'm half and half," she replied. Now that she had said her piece and got punished for it, she sounded tired. "I got the Chinese half from my mother's side. Not a lot of people know that about me."

Tamaki made a nonchalant shrug. "Zero ain't Japanese, and neither were Diethard and Rakshata. Who am I to complain if you aren't, either?"

Chiba look offended once more. "I never knew my mother and I grew up in Japan, so I consider myself more Japanese than Chinese."

"Yeah yeah, you know what I mean." Tamaki leaned forward eagerly. "Teach me some Chinese cuss words, because I really wanna give those dumb guards a piece of my mind. I'm curious...what did you say to that guy back there?"

Chiba grinned, despite the dried blood remaining on her lips. "Something along the lines of insulting his mother and all of his ancestors."

Tamaki cackled. "Nice." His smile slowly faded when he thought of spending more time of his life, possibly his entire life, in jail. "I might be learning a lot of words from you, because I have a bad feeling that we're gonna be in here for a long time."

* * *

For what seemed like the millionth time, Tamaki sprawled onto the floor as the guards push him down the hallway. The Black Knights were accustomed to the sight, so they weren't particularly worried because Tamaki always bounced back, anyway.

The fallen Japanese man inched forward like a worm in the dirt and growled rebelliously, "If Zero were here, you all wouldn't be acting so tough!"

Chiba scowled and resentment burned in her gut. "Do me a favor and don't mention that traitor's name again. I'm sick of hearing it every time."

"You're getting mad at me for having faith in our leader?"

"What leader? Nothing excuses why he just pulled out of that decisive battle and left us to bite the dust."

Tamaki opened his mouth to protest, but Tohdoh's interjection cut off all prospects of an argument. "That's enough! It's no use...Zero is dead, after all. It's been a year, and he hasn't come for us. I expect him to be a man of prompt action. It only makes sense to conclude that he's dead."

Ohgi looked crestfallen, and despair sunk into his expression. "Zero is...dead...?"

Tohdoh was not one to sugarcoat his words, and he stated the bitter truth: "Soon we will join him. A public execution seems imminent." After defying and cheating death more than once, it seemed strangely right to him that now would be his time to truly die. And if that were so, he'd die with honor and dignity, in the manner of the last honorable samurai of what little was left of Japan.

* * *

**Obviously there was no language barrier in the show for the sake of convenience, but I like exploring cultural differences and conflicts. I could see the Britannians doing forceful assimilation, like making all their colonial subjects speak English and banning the native languages.**

**About Chiba revealed to be half Chinese and half Japanese: it's a big part of her backstory and later chapters will explain why her heritage is relevant. I admit that it started off as a random, unexplained urge to make her that way, just cuz. But after PMing and exchanging ideas with a faithful reader and supporter of this fic, I have reasons why Chiba is the way she is. Thanks, xDreamfyre!**

**As for Tohdoh, there's no question that he's Japanese through and through. I can't imagine him being anything else.**

**What did you think of this chapter? I'm curious and would like to know your reaction. :)**


	10. A Little Perspective

**Two Swords (10)**

**A Little Perspective**

Kyoshiro Tohdoh was a man of many qualities, and being a stupid man was not one of them. It's not like he had been entirely clueless. He always knew.

He knew that Chiba was helplessly, almost hopelessly enamored with him. It was obvious and clear to him as for anyone else who worked or fought alongside her in the Black Knights. To be perfectly honest, his stoic front was just a cover up for the fact he didn't know what to do about it. So he put up the oblivious act.

During the Christmas party, he knew that under all her red-faced embarrassment, she also flushed with joy for finally getting a kiss from him, however unorthodox and strange the event was. It had been many years since he last kissed a woman, however long that Suzaku Kururugi was alive. After all, Tohdoh had once been in love with the boy's mother. Perhaps he was still in love, which was why he couldn't move on to have any conviction about Chiba. He was a man rooted in the past. The only thing...no, the only _person_ who kept him from moving on was Miwa Kururugi. Even in death, she had a hold on his heart and he didn't want her to let go.

The late Prime Minister of Japan, Genbu Kururugi, had died thinking he had been murdered by his own son. Tohdoh knew better. Taizo Kirihara had informed him of this unsettling secret, the truth behind Genbu's death.

In turn, only the old man was privy to the fact that Tohdoh, through his love with Genbu's wife, had fathered Suzaku.

It was a secret the Japanese general intended to take to his grave. Now that the boy had turned his back to Japan and become the champion white knight of Britannia, Tohdoh felt that he had dishonored his lover by failing to save their son from corruption. He couldn't help but feel that it would be a further stain on Miwa's memory if he considered moving on with another woman. This was the dilemma that plagued him, the one that tore him apart from inside. His appearance and actions never gave the slightest indication of it; military training had conditioned him that way. But deep down, he held secrets and bore pain like any other human would.

For all his stern and intimidating manner he projected, Tohdoh wasn't entirely sure why Chiba fell in love with him in the first place. He wasn't the same man he was years ago. Most people don't consider him particularly friendly, open, and approachable. So what did she see in him? At what point during the years they've known each other had her admiration towards him become love?

Had it not been for the circumstances they were currently in, or the dangerous jobs both of them decided to pursue, it wouldn't have been above him to consider having a relationship with her. Chiba was an attractive woman, brave, tenacious, and dutiful, if a little clingy and rigid at times. A part of him felt humbled and honored that he was the object of her feelings. At the same time he thought they were ill-timed and ill-placed. Tohdoh wanted to focus only on his efforts to further the Black Knights' agenda and free Japan. He had no room for a personal life or romance. Not anymore. Since the two were eight years apart, he also felt that he was too old for her. He believed that she should look elsewhere for a man of her age, someone outside of the military who would be able to freely and openly reciprocate her feelings.

Knowing Chiba and how stubborn she was, Tohdoh knew that the latter point was something she wouldn't consider. For her, there was no one else but him. Whenever he had free time to himself, or tried to keep busy with menial tasks around the Ikaruga, his thoughts always strayed to the dilemma regarding his closest subordinate.

'You've fallen in love with the wrong man, Chiba,' he thought with remorse. 'I don't think I can ever give you what you want. I feel as if I still belong with someone else.'

He considered having a serious talk with her after the war, and sort out whatever emotional turmoil roiled in both of them, provided that they both survive by the end of it all. Until then, Tohdoh had to keep acting as if he wasn't painfully aware of Chiba's feelings at all. A sudden thought struck him and made him crack a wry grin. How long could he keep up the act? After all, he was a soldier, not an actor.

* * *

**So I delved a bit into Tohdoh's head...no doubt you found stuff that might've blown your mind. :3**


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